How Long Until Formal Nights End

[GeriatricNurse]

I hope that HA never decides not have formal nights. Sometimes DH & I do them and sometimes not. There are other nice options for those who wish not to get dressed up.

 

Well, I hope that HAL soon decides to end formal nights! As for myself, I always dress smart casual on formal nights, (same as any other night), dine in any venue except for the MDR & PG, & feel free to walk anywhere about the ship during the evening, including the shops, bars, & show lounge! ;) I do not subscribe to the 'suggestion' that I have to spend formal evenings secluded in my stateroom just because I should not be 'seen' in any public venue during (formal) dress evenings! :p

[HamOp]

...only one,my nephew had to be told to take off his baseball hat:eek::D

 

You mean kind of like this?

 

Tony was :mad:

[sapper1]

Don Cherry----ya gotta love him!!m:D

[cru1sinforabruisin]

I do not subscribe to the 'suggestion' that I have to spend formal evenings secluded in my stateroom just because I should not be 'seen' in any public venue during (formal) dress evenings! :p

 

This is something I was wondering about too... on our first cruise the little blurb about formal night mentioned that formal dress should be worn in all public areas, which is very different from the common interpretation that you need formal dress to dine in the MDR. For example I wasn't sure if I was welcome at the shows, movie theatre, lounges or even just walking on the promenade deck if I didn't dress up. It was a little uncomfortable since on the one hand I didn't think it was very realistic for everyone who dined at the Lido (and there were a lot of them) to be expected to go back to their staterooms immediately afterwards and stay there for the rest of the night, but at the same time I didn't want to be seen to be ruining the evening for people who did dress up.

 

So I guess the question is, for people who love formal night and take a great deal of care in dressing up, what standard do you personally have for people who don't dress formally? Don't care as long as they're not in the MDR? Would prefer to not even see them in the elevator? Somewhere in between?

[sammiedawg]

Fellow cruisers should not be judge and jury if someone does not wear formal attire. No one should feel relegated to their cabin if they are wearing smart casual clothes. IMO some of us are way too judgemental of others. Many cruisers are opting out of the formal routine, more power to them. Casting my vote now, formal nights can end as far as I'm concerned.

[iancal]

If we are dressed casually on formal evening (and eat in the Lido) we certainly do not stay in our room. We visit the shops, casino, bars, and sometimes attend the show.

 

No one has yet told us exactly how we can get from our cabin to the Lido without being in public areas! I guess our dress would be described as business casual. Although in warm weather, we have gone out on the deck in shorts.

 

HAL needs to update their so called 'suggestions'. They might start by taking a look at what Celebrity requests of it's cruisers vis a vis dress and formal evenings.

[sail7seas]

I agree with you..On our recent NA cruise, we saw many young people in their 20's who were dressed to the nines, especially the girls err ladies..They wore beautiful dresses & spike heels which I loved wearing in my younger days..(unfortunately no more) & they looked lovely! I think they welcomed the fact that they could dress up on all nights..

 

 

 

What a terrific post! :):) :):)I too applaud you with a standing ovation!

 

Cheers..Betty

 

Many young people do enjoy dressing up, I know when we cruise with our large extended families, all our children, ages 17-29 look great dressed formal...only one,my nephew had to be told to take off his baseball hat:eek::D

 

 

 

I agree.

We've noticed many young people dressed beautifully and seeming to love it. If one can gauge by some of the smiles and flirting going on, those teens and young twenty somethings are having lots of fun. And it sure is fun to see those pretty young people looking so lovely.

[hypercafe]

I think HAL should do as Oceania or NCL, in fact I think all lines should. Make all nights resort casual, no shorts, ball caps ect., and still have formal optional nights. Lots of people dress up, have pictures with the Capt. ect. This way all can be happy.

[readytogo2]

You mean kind of like this?

 

Tony was :mad:

 

Yep...like that:D:D

[rafinmd]

I think HAL should do as Oceania or NCL, in fact I think all lines should. Make all nights resort casual, no shorts, ball caps ect., and still have formal optional nights. Lots of people dress up, have pictures with the Capt. ect. This way all can be happy.

 

Why do all cruise lines have to be carbon copies of each other. We have a choice today between more and less formal cruise lines. Why do you want to take that away?

 

Roy

[readytogo2]

I think HAL should do as Oceania or NCL, in fact I think all lines should. Make all nights resort casual, no shorts, ball caps ect., and still have formal optional nights. Lots of people dress up, have pictures with the Capt. ect. This way all can be happy.

 

If we are dressed casually on formal evening (and eat in the Lido) we certainly do not stay in our room. We visit the shops, casino, bars, and sometimes attend the show.

 

No one has yet told us exactly how we can get from our cabin to the Lido without being in public areas! I guess our dress would be described as business casual. Although in warm weather, we have gone out on the deck in shorts.

 

HAL needs to update their so called 'suggestions'. They might start by taking a look at what Celebrity requests of it's cruisers vis a vis dress and formal evenings.

 

Holland America Lines has been around since 1873....why would they follow newbies?

[hypercafe]

I am not trying to spoil anything or take anything away, just saying there are ways to make all happy. If seeing me dressed in resort casual while you have a tux on spoiled your day I just don't know what to say. As a tip Cunard has 5 formal nights in a seven day trip.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Why do all cruise lines have to be carbon copies of each other. We have a choice today between more and less formal cruise lines. Why do you want to take that away?

 

Roy

 

I agree! What's the point in Carnival owning a bunch of cruise lines if they're all the same? Look at the range of cruise lines they have. Each line finds its own market and demographic.

 

Formal nights aren't the only thing we like about HAL, but it is part of the ambiance we look for.

 

I am not trying to spoil anything or take anything away, just saying there are ways to make all happy. If seeing me dressed in resort casual while you have a tux on spoiled your day I just don't know what to say. As a tip Cunard has 5 formal nights in a seven day trip.

 

And that's why they're our other line of choice. Actually, I prefer Cunard over HAL, but HAL wins on itineraries, especially in North America.

[iancal]

Many of these posts seem to assume that all cruisers select the cruise line first.

 

 

We don't. Cruise line is one of the last things we look at. For us it is itinerary, ship, price, and then cruise line.

 

We appreciate the differences and strengths of each line but at the end of the day if we have narrowed it down to ships from Princess, Celebrity, or HAL, best value wins the day for us.

[arewethereyet]

Many of these posts seem to assume that all cruisers select the cruise line first.

 

 

We don't. Cruise line is one of the last things we look at. For us it is itinerary, ship, price, and then cruise line.

 

We appreciate the differences and strengths of each line but at the end of the day if we have narrowed it down to ships from Princess, Celebrity, or HAL, best value wins the day for us.

We are the same way, about the same three lines. There are things we like, and dislike about all three. But, none of the dislikes are deal killers. Therefore....we look for itinerary, price then cruise line. Lastly, there are some ships we won't go on.

[Opinions]

Holland America Lines has been around since 1873....why would they follow newbies?

 

I have cruised HAL for over 45 years...They have made many changes over that time...They are certainly not reluctant about following "newbies"...One example is open dining in the MDR.

[Lizzie1213]

Two hopes of mine:

1.) Not in my lifetime. :)

2.) I have a long lifetime. :D

 

If I had my way HAL would have fewer casual nights (first and last is all right), and replace them with informal nights.

 

I agree. i love dressing for dinner!

[Harris Jeffer]

Well, I hope that HAL soon decides to end formal nights! As for myself, I always dress smart casual on formal nights, (same as any other night), dine in any venue except for the MDR & PG, & feel free to walk anywhere about the ship during the evening, including the shops, bars, & show lounge! ;) I do not subscribe to the 'suggestion' that I have to spend formal evenings secluded in my stateroom just because I should not be 'seen' in any public venue during (formal) dress evenings! :p

 

I have to agree with you GN! I have given up on formal nite quite a few years ago myself. I go resort casual and I do not feel out of place. I think eventually HAL will have Formal as an option .

[RevNeal]

P.S. BTW REV Neal, were you able to collect on your bet? LOL:D:D

 

Sadly, Rita was upgraded to a Penthouse Suite in Heaven, so I never had the joy of cruising with her. :(. God bless her memory.

[Cqis]

Love formal nights.

 

I don't have a problem with that, I think that I would honor bikini night even though I am over weight, but I probably would not be on a cruise ship that had bikini night. Now that would be a sight.

 

It does not bother me if people are in shorts, they usually enjoy seeing people dressed up, and they are enjoying themselves also.

 

I think that people don't want someone to tell them what to wear. It would be the same thing if it was western night, someone would not want to wear western attire.